FIFA World Cup

Galaxy defender Robbie Rogers, one of the nation’s most high-profile gay athletes, said in a recent television interview that it’s “insane” for FIFA to hold the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 version in Qatar, nations that have criminal laws against homosexuality.

MARRAKECH, Morocco — Defiantly declaring that FIFA is no longer in crisis, Sepp Blatter said Friday the decision to hold the next two World Cups in Russia and Qatar won’t be revoked and that the governing body will publish a confidential probe into the process that picked those countries as hosts.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Luis Suarez’s four-month ban for biting an opponent at the World Cup, but cleared him Thursday to train with Barcelona. CAS said FIFA’s sanctions against Suarez are “generally proportionate to the offence committed.

SAO PAULO >> The World Cup held potential disaster for Brazil — the country, not the team. Yet the country pulled off a magnificent tournament, albeit with a few bumps. It’s the team that has left many Brazilians wondering what went horribly wrong.

HOLLYWOOD >> At 33 Taps sports bar and restaurant on Sunday, the German-born Stefan Oriold found himself standing next to Argentina native Vivi Rama as they both nervously watched the final match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The Germany national men’s soccer team beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time of the 2014 FIFA World Cup final in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, while fans watched and cheered around the world and beyond Sunday, July 13, 2014.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Vladimir Putin chatted with Angela Merkel, and David Beckham hugged Pele at the World Cup final on Sunday. Tom Brady looked on from the VIP seats when his wife Gisele Bundchen brought the trophy on the field before the game.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Mario Goetze produced the piece of individual skill that Lionel Messi couldn’t muster. With two quick, deft touches, Goetze ended Germany’s 24-year wait for another World Cup title with an extra-time winner against Argentina on Sunday — denying Messi the one title he needs to forever take his place among the game’s all-time greats.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Germany midfielder Christoph Kramer’s head injury in the World Cup final on Sunday has revived concerns about the way football deals with concussions. It was the latest in a series of head injuries at the World Cup that raised questions about the sideline medical checks.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Argentina captain Lionel Messi vomited during the World Cup final, as he has done on many occasions both for Argentina and club team Barcelona. It was during the first half against Germany that Messi doubled over and vomited on the pitch.

RIO DE JANEIRO — The World Cup final between Argentina and Germany is still level at 0-0 after the first half. Argentina was the more dangerous team in the first 45 minutes of play, and forward Gonzalo Higuain the most dangerous player.

BRASILIA, Brazil — When it was all over, it was the Netherlands receiving a standing ovation from the Brazilian crowd. Brazil walked off the field to boos, after another demoralizing loss to end its home World Cup.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Marcelo looked wide-eyed, stunned when he scored the first goal of the World Cup ... against his own team. Hardly the most auspicious of starts for Brazil. But that blooper just 11 minutes into the tournament was soon forgiven and forgotten as Brazil went on to win that opening game and the 2014 World Cup quickly flowered into a roaring success, confounding doom and gloom merchants who predicted Brazil couldn’t pull it off without major protests and problems.

BRASILIA, Brazil — Neymar will watch Brazil’s final World Cup match from the bench. Despite nursing a back injury from the quarterfinals that ruled him out of the tournament, the star striker joined his teammates on the pitch during their warm-up before the third-place match against the Netherlands on Saturday.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Preparing to perform at her third World Cup, pop star Shakira says she thanks football for changing her life. Shakira says she “will never forget that I met the love of my life at the World Cup.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella is looking for perfection against Germany in Sunday’s World Cup final. Describing the Germans as “very powerful” physically, mentally and tactically, Sabella said Saturday that there’s no room for error.

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Free watch parties for Sunday’s telecast of the World Cup final between Argentina and Germany will be held at Santa Monica Place and Wilmington Waterfront Park. The Santa Monica Place party will begin at 11 a.

La Abiceleste or Die Mannschaft? Messi or Mueller? It’s a World Cup final for the ages Sunday when Argentina takes on Germany in famed Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. American interest in the event may have waned a bit with the ouster of the United States in the round of 16, but watching Sunday’s match can be a glimpse into the future of the sport in the U.

LIMA, Peru — Colombian soccer star James Rodriguez appears to have it all. At just 22, he is the World Cup’s current top scorer, with six goals, and viewed by many as the standout player of the tournament in Brazil.

RIO DE JANEIRO — FIFA says it has rejected Luis Suarez’s appeal against his four-month ban from all football for biting an opponent in a World Cup match. The FIFA appeals committee rejected the appeal by Suarez and the Uruguay football federation in its entirety.

UPDATE: Argentina beat the Netherlands 4-2 on penalty kicks Wednesday, advancing to Sunday’s final versus Germany. MEXICO CITY — When Mexico was booted out of the World Cup by a hotly contested Dutch penalty, a sizzling coach Miguel Herrera had a shoving match with the Netherlands’ striker, then gave an angry news conference.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Brazilian fans held their heads in their hands, threw up their arms in despair, pulled their hair in anguish, and stood in shock and disbelief as they watched Germany crush their beloved soccer team in a humiliating 7-1 defeat during Tuesday’s World Cup semifinals.

PORTO SEGURO, Brazil — Germany has taken the “tiki-taka” passing game so intrinsically used by Spain to another level at the World Cup in Brazil, by adding ruthless efficiency to the possession philosophy.

SAO PAULO >> It was Argentina’s joy, and another sting for Brazil. The Argentine soccer team beat the Netherlands on Wednesday to win a berth in the World Cup championship match — doing it on archrival Brazil’s soil, and just a day after Brazil was humiliated in a 7-1 loss to Germany.

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil — At a local bar long before noon, a German supporter danced along with Brazilians playing samba. Tension will mount, no doubt, before the 1 p.m. kickoff in Tuesday’s World Cup semifinal match between five-time champion Brazil and three-time titlist Germany.

RIO DE JANEIRO — A drenching, tropical rain and an early onslaught of goals by a powerful Germany team deflated the Brazilian football faithful who packed onto the golden sands of Copacabana beach to watch a World Cup semifinal match on Tuesday.

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil — Germany handed Brazil its heaviest World Cup loss ever on Tuesday with an astounding 7-1 rout in the semifinals that stunned the host nation. Miroslav Klose scored a record-setting 16th career World Cup goal in a five-goal spurt in the first half as Brazil’s defense was torn apart.

Germany coach Joachim Loew, worried about Brazil’s “brutal” tackling, appealed to the referee of today’s World Cup semifinal to be on the lookout for such tactics. Germany and Brazil play in Belo Horizonte, with Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez in charge of the match.

As the World Cup reaches its climax with the semifinals today and Wednesday and the final Sunday, by virtually any measure this tournament is already being widely regarded as perhaps the best of the modern era.

PORTO SEGURO, Brazil — Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger thinks Brazil has crossed the line with some of its hard tackling ahead of the World Cup semifinals and is urging referees to keep a closer eye on the host team.

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil — Argentina midfielder Angel Di Maria has been ruled out of the World Cup semifinal against the Netherlands with a thigh injury while striker Sergio Aguero has been declared fit to play after recovering from a similar problem.

SALVADOR, Brazil — Tim Krul came on as a substitute in the final minute of extra time and then saved two penalties in a 4-3 shootout victory over Costa Rica on Saturday, giving the Netherlands a spot in the World Cup semifinals.

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Gonzalo Higuain’s first goal of this World Cup sent Argentina into the semifinals on Saturday with a 1-0 win over a disappointing Belgium. Argentina, which hadn’t advanced past the World Cup quarterfinals since 1990, controlled the match after Higuain’s eighth-minute goal, more due to disciplined defending than sparkling attack.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Germany reached the semifinals for a fourth straight World Cup by beating France 1-0 Friday in a cagey match settled by a first-half header from Mats Hummels.The center back headed Toni Kroos' free kick in off the underside of the bar in the 13th minute in one of the few chances created in muggy conditions at Maracana stadium.

FORTALEZA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil made its way into the World Cup semifinals for the first time in 12 years, with goals coming from defenders Thiago Silva and David Luiz in a 2-1 win over Colombia on Friday.

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil — An overpass under construction collapsed Thursday in this World Cup host city, killing at least two people and trapping a commuter bus, two construction trucks and a car in an embarrassment for a country that has been basking in praise for what has mostly been a smoothly running soccer tournament.

FORTALEZA, Brazil — Colombia has been playing the exciting brand of football that Brazilians believe their own team should be playing at this World Cup. They’ve also been dancing after goals, bringing a spirit of fun to the pitch.

The streets seem too quiet, diners and souvenir stores, empty. For two whole days now, the globe has gone without World Cup soccer matches in this most electrifying of tournaments in decades. There were no matches on Wednesday and Thursday as teams still standing took a break before heading into today’s quarterfinal matches.

It’s the end of the World Cup as we know it, and we feel fine. Honest to Klinsmann. But then we hear the pitch in Eric Wynalda’s voice as he tries to get his heart and tongue around what could have been this grandiose TV-watching weekend from the Brazilian pitch, conveying a mix of frustration, melancholy and masochism after watching America’s 2-1 loss to Belgium in Tuesday’s knockout match.

Argentina’s theme at this World Cup seems to be scrappy wins with Lionel Messi pulling through at the last minute to save the day. This time he didn’t score on his own, but set the stage for Angel Di Maria to score an extra-time winner against Switzerland in a 1-0 victory in Sao Paulo.